Luminescent rhenium(I) polypyridine fluorous complexes as novel trifunctional biological probes

We present the synthesis, characterization, and photophysical properties of three luminescent rhenium(I) polypyridine fluorous complexes [Re(Me(2)bpy)(CO)(3)(L)](PF(6)) (Me(2)bpy = 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine; L = 3-amino-5-(N-((3-perfluorooctyl)propyl)aminocarbonyl)pyridine (py-Rf-NH(2)) (1), 3-isothiocyanato-5-(N-((3-perfluorooctyl)propyl)aminocarbonyl)pyridine (py-Rf-NCS) (2), 3-ethylthioureidyl-5-(N-((3-perfluorooctyl)propyl)aminocarbonyl)pyridine (py-Rf-TU-C(2)H(5)) (3)). The isothiocyanate complex 2 has been used to label bovine serum albumin (BSA) and glutathione (GSH). The photophysical properties of the resultant bioconjugates have been studied. The isolation of the luminescent fluorous rhenium-GSH conjugate from a mixture of 20 amino acids has been demonstrated using fluorous solid-phase extraction (FSPE). Additionally, the cytotoxicity of complexes 1 and 3 toward HeLa cells has been examined by the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The cellular uptake properties of complex 3 have also been investigated by laser-scanning confocal microscopy.     

Imidazolidene carboxylate bound MBPh4 complexes (M = Li, Na) and their relevance in transcarboxylation reactions

Combination of 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazolum-2-carboxylate (IPrCO(2)) with the Lewis acids MBPh(4), where M = Li or Na, provided two separate complexes. The crystal structures of these complexes revealed that coordination to NaBPh(4) yielded a dimeric species, yet coordination of IPrCO(2) with LiBPh(4) yielded a monomeric species. Combination of 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazolum-2-carboxylate (IMesCO(2)) with LiBPh(4) also afforded a dimeric species that was similar in global structure to that of the IPrCO(2)+NaBPh(4) dimer. In all three cases, the cation of the organic salt was coordinated to the oxyanion of the zwitterionic carboxylate. Thermogravimetric analysis of the crystals demonstrated that decarboxylation occurred at lower temperatures than the decarboxylation temperature of the parent NHC·CO(2) (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene). Kinetic analysis of the transcarboxylation of IPrCO(2) to acetophenone with NaBPh(4) to yield sodium benzoylacetate was performed. First-order dependences were observed for IPrCO(2) and acetophenone, whereas zero -order dependence was observed for NaBPh(4). Direct dicarboxylation was observed when I(t)BuCO(2) was added to MeCN in the absence of added MBPh(4).     

Parameter identifiability in application of soft particle electrokinetic theory to determine polymer and polyelectrolyte coating thicknesses on colloids

Soft particle electrokinetic models have been used to determine adsorbed nonionic polymer and polyelectrolyte layer properties on nanoparticles or colloids by fitting electrophoretic mobility data. Ohshima first established the formalism for these models and provided analytical approximations ( Ohshima, H. Adv. Colloid Interface Sci.1995, 62, 189 ). More recently, exact numerical solutions have been developed, which account for polarization and relaxation effects and require fewer assumptions on the particle and soft layer properties. This paper characterizes statistical uncertainty in the polyelectrolyte layer charge density, layer thickness, and permeability (Brinkman screening length) obtained from fitting data to either the analytical or numerical electrokinetic models. Various combinations of particle core and polymer layer properties are investigated to determine the range of systems for which this analysis can provide a solution with reasonably small uncertainty bounds, particularly for layer thickness. Identifiability of layer thickness in the analytical model ranges from poor confidence for cases with thick, highly charged coatings, to good confidence for cases with thin, low-charged coatings. Identifiability is similar for the numerical model, except that sensitivity is improved at very high charge and permeability, where polarization and relaxation effects are significant. For some poorly identifiable cases, parameter reduction can reduce collinearity to improve identifiability. Analysis of experimental data yielded results consistent with expectations from the simulated theoretical cases. Identifiability of layer charge density and permeability is also evaluated. Guidelines are suggested for evaluation of statistical confidence in polymer and polyelectrolyte layer parameters determined by application of the soft particle electrokinetic theory.     

Architectures, mechanisms and molecular evolution of natural product methyltransferases

Covering: up to January 2012The addition of a methyl moiety to a small chemical is a common transformation in the biosynthesis of natural products across all three domains of life. These methylation reactions are most often catalysed by S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferases (MTs). MTs are categorized based on the electron-rich, methyl accepting atom, usually O, N, C, or S. SAM-dependent natural product MTs (NPMTs) are responsible for the modification of a wide array of structurally distinct substrates, including signalling and host defense compounds, pigments, prosthetic groups, cofactors, cell membrane and cell wall components, and xenobiotics. Most notably, methylation modulates the bioavailability, bioactivity, and reactivity of acceptor molecules, and thus exerts a central role on the functional output of many metabolic pathways. Our current understanding of the structural enzymology of NPMTs groups these phylogenetically diverse enzymes into two MT-superfamily fold classes (class I and class III). Structural biology has also shed light on the catalytic mechanisms and molecular bases for substrate specificity for over fifty NPMTs. These biophysical-based approaches have contributed to our understanding of NPMT evolution, demonstrating how a widespread protein fold evolved to accommodate chemically diverse methyl acceptors and to catalyse disparate mechanisms suited to the physiochemical properties of the target substrates. This evolutionary diversity suggests that NPMTs may serve as starting points for generating new biocatalysts.     

A Simple and Sensitive LC–MS/MS Method for Simultaneous Determination of Temsirolimus and Its Major Metabolite in Human Whole Blood

A simple, fast and sensitive LC?CMS/MS method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of the concentrations of temsirolimus and its major metabolite, sirolimus, in human whole blood. The blood sample (100???L) after adding temsirolimus-d7 and sirolimus-d3 internal standards was precipitated with 0.200?mL of methanol/0.300?M zinc sulfate (70/30, v/v), then analyzed by a Shimatzu LC system coupled to a Sciex API-5000 mass spectrometer. The chromatographic separation was carried out on a BDS Hypersil C8 column (50?×?3.0?mm, 5???m) at 50?°C with a mobile phase composed of methanol/water/formic acid (72/28/0.1) (v/v/v) containing 2.50?mM ammonium acetate. Mass spectrometric detection was performed using electrospray positive ionization with multiple reaction monitoring mode. This method was validated from 0.250 to 100?ng?mL^?1 for temsirolimus and 0.100 to 40.0?ng?mL^?1 for sirolimus. The lower limits of quantitation were 0.25?ng?mL^?1 for temsirolimus and 0.1?ng?mL^?1 for sirolimus. The intra-day and inter-day precisions (CV?%) of spiked quality control (QC) samples were less than 10.4 and 9.6?%, respectively. The accuracies as determined by the relative error for QC samples were less than 12.1?% for intra-day and 7.3?% for inter-day. No significant matrix effect was observed. This method has been successfully applied to analyze clinical pharmacokinetic study samples. The assay reproducibility was also demonstrated by using incurred samples.     

Iron-catalyzed formation of 2-aminopyridines from diynes and cyanamides

Diynes and cyanamides undergo an iron-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition to form highly substituted 2-aminopyridines in an atom-efficient manner that is both high yielding and regioselective. This system was also used to cyclize two terminal alkynes and a cyanamide to afford a 2,4,6-trisubstituted pyridine product regioselectively.     

Phonon-assisted optical absorption in silicon from first principles

The phonon-assisted interband optical absorption spectrum of silicon is calculated at the quasiparticle level entirely from first principles. We make use of the Wannier interpolation formalism to determine the quasiparticle energies, as well as the optical transition and electron-phonon coupling matrix elements, on fine grids in the Brillouin zone. The calculated spectrum near the onset of indirect absorption is in very good agreement with experimental measurements for a range of temperatures. Moreover, our method can accurately determine the optical absorption spectrum of silicon in the visible range, an important process for optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications that cannot be addressed with simple models. The computational formalism is quite general and can be used to understand the phonon-assisted absorption processes in general.     

First-principles calculations of quasiparticle excitations of open-shell condensed matter systems

We develop a Green's function approach to quasiparticle excitations of open-shell systems within the GW approximation. It is shown that accurate calculations of the characteristic multiplet structure require a precise knowledge of the self-energy and, in particular, its poles. We achieve this by constructing the self-energy from appropriately chosen mean-field theories on a fine frequency grid. We apply our method to a two-site Hubbard model, several molecules, and the negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy defect in diamond and obtain good agreement with experiment and other high-level theories.